I can’t say that I have been a fan of Twiztid since the beginning, because to be honest I did not know of them until about 2002 or so, when I first heard “Diemuthafuckadieâ€. Since then, however, I’ve kept up with their releases, be it as a duo (“Freek Showâ€, “Man’s Mythâ€, “Independents Dayâ€) or as solo artists (“Phatsoâ€, “Chainsmokerâ€). With a little bit of education under my belt then,…
Even diehard Chris Cornell fans have to admit the sound of the former Soundgarden front man backed by Timbaland’s electronic beats is a tad bit disconcerting. Now imagine an entire album of this Cornell hip hop hybrid.
Let the Pitchfork reading hipsters disagree, but Radiohead’s three best releases came out in the early to late 90’s, before the band became obsessed with synth-driven experimental songs. It’s satisfying then that Capitol chose to put out Special Collectors Editions of Pablo Honey, The Bends and OK Computer.
Writing a great rock novel is a whole lot harder than it sounds. There have been countless attempts over the years and the result is usually a collection of boring tour urban legends and rejected VH1 Behind the Music scripts. It’s a pretty big feat then that both Michael Shilling and Jason Buhrmester have managed to turn in solid rock stories just months apart from each other. Shilling’s Rock Bottom…
One look at the band photo and it’s easy to dismiss the Dallas-based five piece Artist Vs Poet as little more than hoodie-sporting, auto-tune dependent Millennials with influences that don’t go deeper than last year’s Hot Topic best-sellers. A rash, slightly unfair judgment call, but pretty damn accurate if their 5-song EP is any indication to what the future holds. Sure there’s nothing flat out offensive about the music, aside…
It’s hard to overplay the importance of 1989’s Paul’s Boutique to the success of the Beastie Boys. The follow up to the band’s sophomoric, party album Licensed to Ill, the Dust Brother produced Paul’s Boutique took the band from novelty white rappers to a legitimate musical talent, pushing the boundaries of a still new genre at the time. There is still plenty of humor, just much less chauvinistic posturing with…
Long Island’s Danny Rocco aims pretty high with his debut The Future is Now, going beyond the staid and routine songs his peers have been churning out. Unfortunately he doesn’t always reach the intended heights. The acoustic strumming, singer songwriter (backed by the band End the Stars) starts the album of with the strongly original, addictive title track “The Future is Now,†but the rest of the album tries, and…
With a new lineup backing up the only original member Erika Wennerstrom and a new surrounding city in Austin, Texas what’s the newest release from Heartless Bastards going to sound like? I’m a long time fan of Heartless Bastards so when I was handed their latest release I was pretty excited to find out just that. Known for their no frills rock and roll sound and the blasting vocals of…
At 75 and with a legacy as a national musical treasure already firmly cemented, you’d think Willie Nelson would at least take a little time off to relax. On average, the prolific cowboy churns out at least two or three releases a year. This year looks to be no different.
Art Brut one of the better pop driven indie-rock bands out there’s newest album Art Brut Vs. Satan, available April 21,2009, is another assshaker all the way. From songs about growing up to an ode to the “record buying public” and a great song about finding the greatness that is The Replacements, Art Brut Vs. Satan is another great album by Art Brut. Over eleven tracks they once again turn…
While I had heard of Tindersticks in the past, I did not realize the act had been around for nearing on twenty years. It is thus no surprise that their latest effort, “The Hungry Sawâ€, showcases a maturity and deftness with each composition that will stick with listeners long after the band packs up shop. While there may be a few members gone (and the resulting Tindersticks turned into a…
This debut recording, from the introduction that Wild Beasts give listeners with their “Vigil For a Fuddy Duddyâ€, is one of the best ways to get to know a band that I have ever heard. Where it seems that a number of bands start off slowly and gradually introduce potential fans to the band’s mystique, the Wild Beasts lay everything out on the table from the get-go. What the band…
Let’s face it: with the exception of a few acts and a few labels, modern R&B is in a dire state. Most artists that have been in the game for a few years find it impossible to reinvent themselves, and acts that are first coming out are not exploring much in the way of new territory. For fans of R&B, there is one singular hope: Brutha. On their self-titled introduction,…
It’s always nice to see a musician enjoy success from Ohio, and Marianne Kesler has just done that with her “Pear In The Pink Thingâ€. What she has done with this album has, while touching on some common threads, really defined what it is to be a woman and a musician in the current music scene. Whether it is during the disc’s first track “Mysteryâ€, or even the last (“The…
Desillusion is an act that is attempting to bring a shine and luster back to the industrial movement. The EP’s first track, “Discontinued†links a dark ambience with a simply intense brand of metal, calling forth a sound that, while unique, touches upon the works of Marilyn Manson, NIN, and KMFDM. Where most industrial bands do not throw themselves into the presentation side of their music, Desillusion ensures that the…
R00K creates one of music’s most interesting tracks with “Seraâ€. While I must admit that I did not know what to expect when I first got this release to review, the quirky nature of R00K comes through with an expansive track in which the only harmony comes through in the vocals. Repeated listens are necessary to get the true brilliance of “Seraâ€, as the simplicity of the track belies a…
“My Heart’s Desire†showcases Reymundo’s love of jazz, tying the track’s fortunes to a tradition that leads forward from Billie Holiday all the way out to Macy Gray. The track expertly teeters between solid musicianship and catchy vocals, virtually ensuring that listeners will stick with Reymundo for the long haul . “Tell Me†has a little more of a tropical feel, as the vocals come forth from a much older…
For awhile there it looked like U2 were finally back on track. Starting in 2000, when the band atoned for their past sins and, in Bono’s words “Reapplied for the job… of the best band in the world†with the fantastic All That You Can’t Leave Behind, followed by 2004’s almost as stellar How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, the Irish stadium rockers had nearly made up for past experimental…
There has been a lot of chatter about The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, but I must admit, I had not had a chance to listen to a lick of their music before I was sent a copy of their new album, “Fruitâ€. “Fruit†begins with “Lady Jesusâ€, a track that blends together sixties pop with a cool, slinky alternative type of approach. Where the track itself will not likely take the…
Watchmen is one of the biggest films to be released to this point in 2009. Director Zack Snyder has been praised for sticking closely to the original graphic novel, and I would have to say that composer Tyler Bates has kept pretty close to the original mode and feelings created by the title. The 21 compositions on this soundtrack taker on a variety of different sounds and approaches, putting forth…